1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit (IC) film for a smart card.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Given existing technology, functions or communication services (such as mobile Internet banking services) available to mobile phones usually depend on whether there is any support from a SIM/USIM card. In this regard, to overcome limitations caused by conventional SIM/USIM cards, the industrial sector has proposed related technical solutions, such as Taiwan Patent Application No. 94106675 entitled “Dual Universal IC Card (UICC) System for a Portable Device,” Taiwan Patent Application No. 94217529 entitled “Dual IC Card System,” U.S. Published Patent Application US2007/0262156 entitled “Functional Module Improvement Structure for Expanded and Enhanced SIM Card,” and U.S. Published Patent Application US2009/0061933 entitled “Multiple Interface Card in a Mobile Phone”.
Furthermore, there are commercially available SIM/USIM card films for use with mobile phones, such as the V-Tone Card launched into the market by VIBO Telecom, Inc. (for further details, please refer to http://www.vibo.com.tw/CWS/Consumer—05—08—08,,,,.html). The V-Tone card or the like is primarily a film. Users affix the film to a conventional SIM card, put the film-affixed SIM Card in a mobile phone, and then select the STK options of the mobile phone, to use functions or application programs which are otherwise not provided by the original SIM card. For further details about the aforesaid thin film, please refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,198,199, 7,303,137 or Taiwan Patent Application No. 98144154, especially the description of an integrated circuit (IC) film disclosed therein.
However, the aforesaid technology is subjected mostly to limitations of the structure and configuration of mobile phones, entails performing additional processing work on the original SIM card, for example, punching a hole in the SIM card or cutting the SIM card, or even requires services from special technical personnel in order to finish the aforesaid procedure. Hence, the application of the aforesaid technology is inconvenient. Also, in some countries, the aforesaid processing work even requires approval from the telecommunications company issuing the SIM card.